Method for protecting a plant from a burrowing animal

ABSTRACT

A protection device segregates burrowing animals from plants. The protection device comprises a thread knitted into a boundary layer that is sealed with a staple. A user can insert a plant in a root ball earth into the protection device and insert the protection device into a hole in earth. The thread is flexible and does not release iron into the earth. The boundary layer prevents a burrowing animal from entering into the root ball earth and consuming roots of the plant. In some embodiments, the thread is a tubular non-woven stainless steel thread which is knitted in order to prevent existence of a seam. The thread allows the roots of the plant to grow out of the protection device allowing the plant to continue to grow, notwithstanding the boundary layer created by the thread.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. Non-Provisionalpatent application Ser. No. 13/760,469 filed on Feb. 6, 2013, entitled“Protection Device that Segregates Burrowing Animals from Plants” which,in turn, claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application61/596,095, entitled “Sub terrain metal mesh rodent barrier”, filed onFeb. 7, 2012. Both applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the disclosed invention relate to devices that segregateplants from vermin that may be destructive to the plants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To date, devices that protect plants from vermin are difficult tohandle, require substantial maintenance and require at least a secondpiece to protect the stems of the plants. Embodiments of the presentinvention solve these problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A protection device segregates burrowing animals from plants. Theprotection device comprises a thread knitted into a boundary layer thatis sealed with a staple. A user can insert a plant in a root ball earthinto the protection device and insert the protection device into a holein earth. The thread is flexible and does not release iron into theearth. The boundary layer prevents a burrowing animal from entering intothe root ball earth and consuming roots of the plant. In someembodiments, the thread is a tubular non-woven stainless steel threadwhich is knitted in order to prevent existence of a seam. The threadallows the roots of the plant to grow out of the protection deviceallowing the plant to continue to grow, notwithstanding the boundarylayer created by the thread.

A method for protecting a plant from a burrowing animal comprises firstknitting a thread into a boundary layer and stapling the boundary layer,creating a protection device. A user inserts the plant in a root ballearth into the protection device. The user then digs a hole in earth.After this the user inserts the protection device into the hole. Theuser next segregates the root ball earth from the earth with theboundary layer. The boundary layer prevents the burrowing animal fromentering the root ball earth from the earth. This prevents the burrowinganimal from eating roots of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates an embodiment of the invention while inuse.

FIG. 2 is a detail perspective view of an embodiment of the inventionillustrating weave pattern.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side-section view of an embodiment of the invention shownground installed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention overcome many of the obstaclesassociated with segregating burrowing animals from plants, and now willbe described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanyingdrawings that show some, but not all embodiments of the claimedinventions. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbersrefer to like elements throughout.

FIG. 1 shows the invention in use. A user desires to segregate plant 20from a burrowing animal (not shown). The user can do this withprotection device 10. Protection device 10 is made from thread 12 asshown in FIG. 2 and staples 18 as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 show the device in use. First, a user staples thebottom of protection device 10 to keep the burrowing animal fromentering protection device 10. Next, the user inserts plant 20 in rootball earth 14 into protection device 10. The user then digs earth 16 inhole 22. After that the user inserts protection device 10 into earth 16.This segregates earth 16 from root ball earth 14 creating a boundarylayer. The boundary layer prevents the burrowing animal in earth 16 fromcrossing protection device 10 into root ball earth 14 and consumingroots of plant 20.

In FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, thread 12 is atubular non-woven stainless steel thread which is knitted in order toprevent the existence of a seam. Rather there is a plurality of warpthreads crossing a plurality of waft threads. Due to this construction,a user can utilize a thinner more malleable thread which allows theroots of plant 20 to grow out of protection device 10 allowing plant 20to continue to grow, notwithstanding the barrier created by threads 12.

When comparing embodiments of the present invention with the prior art,chicken wire is hard and not malleable. Galvanized steel wire releasesiron into the soil and cannot be used for organic farming. Rigid steelwire creates air pockets that are bad for planting. Further, embodimentsof the present invention provide additional geometric flexibility thatprovide for user friendly installation as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show two embodiments of the invention utilizingdifferent arrangements of staple 18 for additional geometricflexibility. Turning to FIG. 3, protection device 10 is unrolled andarranged in a teardrop shape that can accommodate a deep rooted plantsuch as a rose, then stapled with staple 18. Turning to FIG. 4,protection device 10 is unrolled then arranged in a tubular shape thatcan accommodate a shallow rooted flower such as a petunia, then stapledwith many staples 18.

That which is claimed:
 1. A method for protecting a plant from aburrowing animal, the method comprising, knitting a thread into aboundary layer and stapling the boundary layer, creating a protectiondevice, wherein the thread is a tubular non-woven stainless steel threadwhich is knitted preventing existence of a seam, the thread furthercomprises a plurality of warp threads crossing a plurality of waftthreads, the thread allows the roots of the plant to grow out of theprotection device allowing the plant to continue to grow,notwithstanding the boundary layer created by the thread; inserting theplant in a root ball earth into the protection device; digging a hole inearth; inserting the protection device into the hole; segregating theroot ball earth from the earth with the boundary layer; where theboundary layer prevents the burrowing animal from entering the root ballearth from the earth; and preventing the burrowing animal from eatingroots of the plant.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:arranging the protection device in a teardrop shape that can accommodatea deep rooted plant such as a rose.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: arranging the protection device in a tubular shape that canaccommodate a shallow rooted flower such as a petunia.